The rapid rise and crash of chickpea popularity in the late 1990s left a bad taste in the mouths of many growers. Now, once again, strong international prices in the range of 38 to 40 cents a pound for large kabulis have rekindled interest in the crop. “Even with the new varieties and better management, […] Read more
Production — page 97
Chickpea prices may prompt risk
New high-energy oat variety shows promise in cattle rations
New high-energy oat varieties could offer cattle producers a low cost alternative to barley and corn. Grant Zalinko of the University of Saskatchewan’s animal and poultry science department detailed how research is showing the potential for comparable weight gains in backgrounding diets from feeding similar amounts of corn, barley and oats. The problem lies in […] Read more
Improve pasture while feeding cows
Cattle don’t eat all the feed that they’re served during the winter. But rather than thinking of it as wasted feed, Glenn Barclay believes it would be better to consider it as a soil enhancer. “It seems a more appropriate description,” said the forage development specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture. “Plus, in addition to the leftover […] Read more
New Products
Tilt indicator Hillsides can play havoc with the accuracy of a GPS system. The greater the side-slope, the farther the receiver is from the centre of the cab. The Mid-Tech TeeJet Tilt Compensation Module is a device that corrects GPS position errors caused by side-slope conditions. Mounted to a solid structure on the implement, the […] Read more
Data display in your face
Eyestrain and human fatigue are becoming synonymous with operating just about any modern farm implement. The operator must continually monitor a wide range of factors: GPS and steering; the agricultural field task and the performance and function of the machine. As implement engineers devise more ways to feed more information to the operator, the human […] Read more
Storage of timothy key to retaining value
RED DEER – With more than 500 millimetres of rain in parts of southern Alberta last year, hay producers with no storage saw severe product downgrading. Tracy Dow, a processed forage specialist with Alberta Agriculture in Lethbridge, said there were reports of small square bale stacks with all nine tiers showing water damage and stacks […] Read more
Micronutrient fertilizers no guarantee
REGINA – Micronutrient fertilizers can make a big difference to crops growing on deficient soils. However, if those soils are only marginally deficient or not deficient at all, crop response can be minimal and any micronutrient fertilizer applied would be a waste of money. Rigas Karamanos told farmers at the Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association conference […] Read more
Herbicides affect nitrogen fixation
EDMONTON – Inoculating pulse crops with rhizobium bacteria is one of farming’s great bargains, but stressed plants won’t be able to take advantage of the full savings. Fran Walley, a soils professor at the University of Saskatchewan, told the recent Farm Tech conference in Edmonton that herbicides are among the biggest culprits. Root hair curling […] Read more
Sask. research team studies rangeland gas
It seems nothing escapes the scrutiny of scientists when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions. A team of researchers from the University of Saskatchewan recently completed an investigation of greenhouse gas emissions on Saskatchewan rangelands. The major greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane – have always been produced naturally as a result […] Read more
Tracked skid steer loaders stack up well in research
Ongoing research suggests that recently developed full track skid steer loaders have load and mobility advantages over traditional wheel models. Track skid steer loaders are not to be confused with wheel skid steer loaders that have optional belt tracks covering the tires. The purpose-built track units can lift and carry heavier loads than wheel skid […] Read more
